‘I Knew I Was in Good Shape’: Marthe Koala Secures 6.77m Victory in Hengelo Ahead of French and Italian Rivals

Marthe Koala of Burkina Faso, a two-time African champion in long jump and heptathlon, leapt to a seasonal best of 6.77m to win the women’s long jump in Hengelo.

The seven-time continental medalist reaffirmed her status as Africa’s top-ranked long jumper with a composed performance that saw her claim maximum ranking points.

Italy’s Larissa Iapichino, a two-time Diamond League winner and European indoor champion, placed second with 6.73m in the sixth round, edging France’s Hillary Kpatcha, who had earlier won in Stockholm, with 6.63m.

Dutch record holder Pauline Hondema finished fourth at 6.53m, while world indoor pentathlon champion Sofie Dokter of the Netherlands managed 6.32m.

Reflecting on her victory, Koala said: ‘I feel good, the wind was turning a bit, but I tried to manage. I’m happy with how I performed. Before starting, I knew I was in good shape.

‘I wanted to take the maximum points here for the ranking, so I’m very happy I managed that. Before I came here, my first goal was to jump over 6.80. That didn’t quite work, but I’m pretty happy with the win today.’

Koala emphasized her focus and composure during the competition: ‘I just had to stay focused, do what I had to do and manage to pull it off. My next competition will be in France, a meeting with my club. After that, I will go to Italy to jump in Lignano.’